Repod

Contents

To repod is to make a podfic of a fanfic that has previously been podficced (by another podficcer). Originally, repods were deliberate, but as blanket permission became more popular, accidental repods, often posted simultaneously, by podficcers unaware that someone else was working on the same story became more common. In 2014, a pod_aware podcast suggested multipod as a broader term to describe the existence of multiple podfic versions of a fanfic.[1]

Controversy

The practice of repodding was controversial until at least 2010.[2][3] Some felt that it was "a waste of time"[4], and there were some hurt feelings around the issue.[5] Others were "happy and comfortable with the idea"[6] and thought they brought "something new and exciting and interesting to the table."[7]

In response to the controversy, an annual repod challenge community, multipodicity, was created by paraka. Explaining why she created the community, paraka said:

Icon created by mific for the multipodicity repod challenge comm

I'm hoping that running a challenge like this will help with the stigma that currently exists around multiple podfics of the same story. People seem to think that if someone makes a podfic of something that's already been podficed it's because they found the first podfic lacking in some way. Never mind that there are a lot of other reasons someone might want to podfic the story.
This challenge won't be about that though, it'll be about some of the other reasons you might want to podfic a story that has already been done. Like it's fun! And different! You really love the story in question! Hopefully this will help people realize that just because two podfics are a reading of the same story doesn't mean that they are copies of each other (podfic is not just a format shift from text to audio, it's an art form, a performance), or that one is necessarily better than the other. Just like a cover of a song can bring a new dimension/feel to the song being covered.[10]

In a November 2011 pod_aware podcast, paraka commented that repodding had become much less controversial.[11] In a 2014 pod_aware podcast, paraka, bessyboo, and exmanhater agreed that the repodding was no longer controversial, though acknowledging that some people still might not like it.[1]